You Can Fool All of the People Some of the Time

Published on March 31, 2006 By Dr Guy In Politics

Those immortal words by Abraham Lincoln are the start of the full quote:

You can fool all of the people some of the time.
You can fool some of the people all of the time.
But you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

They are as true today as they were 140 years ago. But the fly in the ointment is that in a democracy (or a Republic), you dont have to fool all of the people all of the time, just some of them all of the time. And the democrats know how to do that!

Last year we had 2 gubernatorial elections. Both won by democrats, and both winners promised "No New Taxes" and both candidates did not even wait for their new seat of power to get warm before breaking the promise. And somehow people are surprised?

I dont know much about New Jersey other than it is one of the highest tax states in the Union. My State is Virginia, and here we have a healthy mix of Democrats and Republicans winning office (although mostly democrats as it still runs back to its post Civil War days when there is nothing else to stir the electorate). And in Virginia, of the last 6 governors, half have made the "no new tax pledge" and broken it. The best was Mark Warner who waited 2 years to break it. The worst was Tim "Ted Matthews" Kaine who took exactly 6 days (Breaking Clinton's record by a couple of months).

And all 3 were democrats. Of the other 3, 2 were Republicans, and 1 was a democrat (who faced a lot tougher budget than Mark Warner, and yet did not raise taxes).

The democrats know that they do not have to fool all of the people any of the time, and they dont try. They know if they fool some of the people all of the time, they can continue to run in and promise fiscal conservatism, and then do just the opposite once elected. And as long as some people play the fool all of the time, they will get away with it.

Comments

Dr Guy

on Mar 31, 2006

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008155

The Washington post is not right wing rag, yet even they have gotten into the Clinton Cliche:

Did he break his promise?

Maybe it depends on what your definition of a promise is.

Moderateman

on Mar 31, 2006

although this does not apply to all Democrats, they are known as THE TAX AND SPEND PARTY for good reason.

Dr Guy

on Mar 31, 2006

although this does not apply to all Democrats, they are known as THE TAX AND SPEND PARTY for good reason.

Only to the ones that are not fooled all of the time.

Locamama

on Mar 31, 2006

The Republicans are no longer the party of fiscal conservancy. I don't know about on a state level but on a national level it is sickening to see how huge the national debt has gotten under Republican leadership. Say what you want about Clinton. He left office with a surplus in our national coffers.

Read my lips. No new taxes. It's easy to make promises when you're running for office. Then you get in the job and have to face the hard budget realities.

I think this is definately a time for a strong third party to come in. Maybe even two new parties. I think both the Republicans and the Democrats have f'd things up pretty bad.

Dr Guy

on Mar 31, 2006

Read my lips. No new taxes. It's easy to make promises when you're running for office. Then you get in the job and have to face the hard budget realities.

It may not be easy, but some manage to keep the Promise. Doug Wilder had a fiscal crises due to the irresponsibility of Jerry Baliles that was much worse than Warner. But he kept his promise. It took Kaine 6 days to break them. There is no way what he learned in those 6 days, he was not privy to before the election. he was the Lt. Governor after all.

I intentionally did not include the national, as we all know that Bush I broke his promise. And for that, he lost in 92. But it took him over 2 years to break it. It took Kaine, 6 days, Corzine 2 months, Baliles 1 year, and Warner 2 years. The only difference is that Virginia Governors cannot run for re-election. But if it were possible, Warner would have been re-elected. Which just goes to show you you can fool some of the people all of the time. But not all of the people all of the time.

Locamama

on Mar 31, 2006

It may not be easy, but some manage to keep the Promise

I agree that they should keep their promises but they have to deliver whatever they promised to all their campaign contributors. (typed in a sarcastic manner) Campaign finance refrom needs to be a priority in this country.

The short turn around on breaking their promise once they got in office shows that they really had no intention of honoring their no new taxes promises. But I wonder is it the legislatures that are passing the new taxes and they are not vetoing them and signing them into law? I'm not sure if it works differently on the state level. Really the governor can't come in and institute a new tax, the state congress has to do that. Then the governor can accept or reject.

Chaos Manager

on Mar 31, 2006

Really the governor can't come in and institute a new tax, the state congress has to do that.

He can't TECHNICALLY institute the tax. Just like the President, he has to get a member of the House to bring it before the body. That doesn't mean that the governer isn't the primary proponent of the tax. It's even more obvious when it's the Governer that first mentions it during a speech that Friday after he took office.

Dr Guy

on Mar 31, 2006

I agree that they should keep their promises but they have to deliver whatever they promised to all their campaign contributors. (typed in a sarcastic manner)

Sarcastic Manner duly noted and appreciated.

Dr Guy

on Mar 31, 2006

But I wonder is it the legislatures that are passing the new taxes and they are not vetoing them and signing them into law?

IN the latest case, the legistlature is fighting Kaine, and he is threatening to shut down the government.

Glad I got that Christmans Bonus!

Dr Guy

on Mar 31, 2006

It's even more obvious when it's the Governer that first mentions it during a speech that Friday after he took office.

I hope the Delgates have grown more backbone since Warner snookered them. I am still working for them, but I would gladly sacrafice some time off without pay for them to stand him down.

stevendedalus

on Apr 02, 2006

And as long as some people play the fool all of the time, they will get away with it.https://forums.joeuser.com/Forums.aspx?ForumID=121&AID=110380

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